


Sweet Honey

by CrystalOak



Category: The LEGO Movie (2014), The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Breakfast, Breakups, Coffee, Denial, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Guilt, Isolation, Loneliness, M/M, Post-Canon, Rex Doesn't Fricking Die AU, Selfcest at its finest, Slow Burn, Stargazing, Time Travel, Touch-Starved, time paradox
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-07 21:56:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17968766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalOak/pseuds/CrystalOak
Summary: Rex is a villain. Heroes defeat villains, so why was Rex still here?An AU where Rex doesn't disappear, and gets the redemption he deserves.





	1. Still Here

Emmet Brickowski was a hero. He was kind, brave, optimistic, and never gave up hope. He was everything someone could ever want in a friend, and after the events that transpired in the Systar system, he had regained the good reputation he had briefly held before the apocalypse. Absolutely perfect, and beloved by everyone around him. 

Rex Dangervest was a villain. He was manipulative, selfish, scheming, and had abandoned every single person he ever held dear. He acted without regard to the feelings of others, all in a futile attempt to make peace with the trauma he had endured. 

Heroes defeat villains. Good prevails over evil. That’s how every story seems to end. 

So why was Rex still here? 

Time travel is confusing, he knew that, but even Rex understood the basics of timelines. If Emmet had been saved by Lucy, he would never become Rex, and Rex would be Back-To-The-Futured. It was a simple rule, and something Rex had already accepted in the few moments he _thought_ he had left. 

But there he was, standing in one piece in front of Emmet and Lucy, who both looked on in worry and anticipation, expecting Rex go out with a “pop!” at any second. 

Rex decided to look down at his hands, as if staring at them would speed up the process. Despite his efforts to will himself out of existence, he found after a few moments that he was, indeed, still a real person. 

Rex had expected a death. He had expected a disappearance. He had a whole cool-guy speech planned out already. 

But now… 

What the hell was he supposed to do now?


	2. Rise and Shine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another morning on the Rexcelsior

Rex used to think that his situation couldn’t have gotten any worse. Being abandoned by everyone you loved, watching them live out their pleasant little lives just a few feet away? Trying and failing, again and again, to call out to them, so someone, anyone may hear your pleas? 

But now he lay in his bed at 7:02 AM, clutching a pillow against his ears in an attempt to drown out the “Rise and Shine” song of New Bricksburg, his (unpleasant) home of 23 days, and he could have sworn he would take another month in Undar of the Dry-Ar system over this. 

They played the same, lyrically incompetent song every single morning, and Rex had almost, _almost_ , become accustomed to it. At least he had a pair of cracked headphones and his old mixtapes. Even if half of what came from them was nothing but static, it was infinitely better than the Tween Dream tunes that somehow penetrated the walls of his ship throughout the day. 

He could hardly believe he used to actually _like_ stuff like that. 

It was even harder for him to fathom that his younger self _still_ liked stuff like that. 

Rex couldn’t help but think about Emmet while he stuck his headphones over his ears, carefully positioning them as not to destroy the fragile cords that somehow held the busted thing together. He found himself thinking about Emmet a lot lately. Like, all the time. 

He should have disappeared the moment Emmet was saved, but after thinking on the situation (a headache-inducing endeavor), he came to the conclusion that it must be a paradox. If Rex hadn’t saved Emmet from the asteroid, Emmet would have become Rex anyway. Therefore, Rex couldn’t disappear. Rex honestly wished he had, cause dying just might have been better than the crushing guilt of his morally ambiguous actions. 

Obviously, Rex felt bad for what he did. 23 straight days in his ship, completely alone (even his raptors had left him), left lots of time for thinking on his fucked up actions. Manipulating, lying, abandoning, torturing… Rex had never wanted to play the part of the villain. He was supposed to be the cool, badass hero that saved Emmet from the trauma he had endured. 

But what did he do instead? He just hurt himself (himselves?) all over again. And now, once again, Rex was completely alone. But this time, he didn’t have friends he could even hope would save him. 

Static blasted through the speakers, and seemed to fill his mind completely. Guilt, isolation, and regret mixed to create perfect chaos. Soon, he found his legs moving again, completely unconsciously. He hated New Bricksburg with every fiber of his being, but he had fallen into a new routine nonetheless. 

Eat, shower, change clothes, ship maintenance, eat, chores, eat, stargaze, change clothes, sleep, all the while drowning out every emotion with stereotypical “cool” music. 

He could certainly go back. Making a new remote would be simple, and he could time travel again and again until he fixed everything (he actually lamented over how little consideration Emmet and his ex-friends had put into the fact that Rex could do this). But Rex thought that he certainly deserved this monotony. This loneliness, this isolation, this despair. Making a new remote would just completely defeat the purpose of his “adventure”. He had learned the hard way that he didn’t deserve to be happy. 

Jeez, when did he get so sappy? 

After eating and showering, both very numb experiences, Rex began his daily tour of the ship. He didn’t drive it anywhere anymore, Lucy and the others had made sure that Rex couldn’t escape from the planet and cause trouble elsewhere. Despite his protest, they had decided the best route was to just… take Rex’s entire engine. 

Again, it’s not like he couldn’t rebuild it. 

He arrived at the ship entrance, having his usual thought of going outside. He hadn’t stepped out during the day ever since he had been placed on the outskirts of New Bricksburg, he figured there was no point when everything was so blindingly _bright_ and _colorful_. 

Now going out at night, that was a different story. 

Due to his current lack of activities to fill the nighttime hours, and his apparent insomnia, Rex had made a habit of stargazing. He would listen intently, resting his back against the ship’s hatch, until the buzz of the city had faded, and the only thing he could hear was the thumping of his own heart. Only when he was certain every citizen had been put to rest in their homes, he would open the hatch and step out into the night. 

The shining stars above him, the chilled air against his exposed arms, the grass crunching beneath his feet… These things seemed to breathe life into him every time. He would sit down cross-legged in the cold grass, and bend his head back to take in the sight of the cosmos. He had little knowledge of constellations and the like, so he made a game of creating his own. He never wrote them down, though. Creating new shapes and stories every night was all part of the fun. 

More than once, he had fallen asleep in that position, waking in the early morning to find himself covered in dew, and sore in every joint. He would always glance around in a panic, and rush back inside his ship, stifling his groans of pain all the way. God forbid someone find him outside, enjoying himself like that. 

Going out during the day was very risky, and even more so pointless. What would he do if he left anyway? Just waltz into town and act like everything was awesome? Have a lively chat with his ex-friends over coffee? Yeah, sure. 

Well, that’s exactly what was in store for him, apparently. 

While contemplating the possibilities in front of the hatch, Rex thought he heard an unfamiliar sound through his headphones. A hard sound. 

_God, did they crack again?_ He considered, taking them off to inspect the sides. Thankfully, the upbeat music had stopped for the time being, a rare moment of sweet silence. 

But then the sound came again, and Rex realized this time that it came from his door. 

He froze, for a moment, his hand instinctively moving to the laser pistol in its holster. It was the one weapon he had been able to keep after the rest were confiscated for obvious reasons. He approached the hatch with caution, gripping the side of the firearm. He pressed the “Release” button, and watched with anticipation as the sun rays began to slowly filter into the large hull. 

And there, the light illuminating him from behind, stood Emmet Brickowski with three cups of coffee balanced in his arms. He smiled widely, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. 

For a few moments, Rex was completely entranced by the sight, not quite processing the situation. He removed his hand from the gun, and let it fall to his side. “Emmet?” 

“Heya, Rex! It’s been a while!” he tried to wave, almost dropping one of the cups he held. 

“Uh,” Rex watched at Emmet scrambled to catch the cup with his foot, “Yeah…” He avoided looking at Emmet’s face, planting his gaze on a speck on his ship’s floor. He considered how dirty the floor was. When was the last time he cleaned it? Did he even own a mop? Where do you buy a mop, anyway? 

“Oh my gosh, did I interrupt something? You look like how Lucy does when she’s brooding.” 

“Huh?” he was snapped out of his cleaning fantasies, “Nah, I wasn’t doing anything. I don’t brood like _she_ does.” He made sure to put an unpleasant accent on the pronoun. 

Of course, Emmet was none the wiser. 

“Oh, good! So, anyway… I brought you something, buddy!” he held out (with much difficulty) a cup for Rex. He stared skeptically at it for a moment before slowly taking it. 

It was warm to the touch, and for a few moments, he didn’t realize that it was obviously coffee. He hadn’t drank coffee in years. 

“I haven’t seen you come out of your ship for a while, and I got a bit worried, so… I got you a black coffee! Lucy and I have it together every morning, and I wanted you to enjoy it too!” 

Lucy again. “Emmet, you really don’t have to do that. I know you probably hate me now, and I know I fucked up, so you don’t need to be nice to me.” Rex answered, handing the cup back. 

Emmet shook his head, pushing Rex’s hand away. 

“Rex, I _want_ to be nice to you. I don’t hate you!” he exclaimed, “I want to be best buddies again, like we were before!” 

Rex couldn’t help but laugh a bit. 

He should have known Emmet wouldn’t hold a grudge. 

“Oh, Emmet…” he sighed, “That’s not how it works, buddy.” 

“Says who?” 

Rex lifted his head to meet his past self’s gaze, and was taken aback by the soft smile that spread across his face. He refused to admit just how nice Emmet’s smile was. Did he use to smile like that too? 

After some silence, Emmet spoke up again. 

“So… If you like the coffee, maybe you should join Lucy and me for our morning coffee sometime. I get it if you don’t want to, but…” he paused, “It would really make my day.” 

Rex didn’t answer for a while. There was no way in hell he was just going to intrude on Emmet’s life again. His younger self deserved to be happy and peaceful. 

Rex was nothing but a bad omen, someone who couldn’t help but infect others with his negativity. Emmet doesn’t deserve that. 

So why couldn’t he say “no”? 

Emmet’s smile slowly faded, and he let out a soft sigh as he turned to walk off. 

And goodness did that hurt Rex’s heart. 

“I… I’ll think about it.” he muttered. 

That was all it took for Emmet to yet again break out into a happy little mood. He whipped his head back around, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. “Alright!” he cheered, “I’ll see you later, Rex! Lucy is probably waiting for me!” 

As Rex watched Emmet disappear into the bright lights of New Bricksburg, he hesitantly sipped his coffee. 

No wonder he never drank the stuff. It was absolutely horrible.


	3. Hot (Scalding) Coffee

For the first time in forever, Rex woke up with a purpose. 

Two days ago, he had accepted an offering of coffee from Emmet, with a promise of more to come, and forced the bitter beverage down his throat. He couldn’t fathom how _anyone_ could stomach a liquid that tastes like ashes and tap water, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy the short buzz it gave him. Even so, that burst of liveliness was _definitely_ not worth downing another 10 oz of burnt piss. 

And now he stood pacing in his ship’s hull, considering whether or not he should go have another one with his past self and ex-friend/girlfriend. It seems like the answer is easy, why the hell would he go force himself to intake a beverage he can’t stand with someone he betrayed, and someone who (unknowingly) betrayed him? A few weeks ago, he wouldn’t think twice about skipping the event entirely. 

But then again… He already told Emmet he would “think about it.” He didn’t have a good memory of what it was like when he was Emmet, but he knew enough about himself to realize that a response like “I’ll think about it” most likely translated to “I’ll definitely come” in Emmet’s mind. His past self was _way_ too optimistic. 

His state of frantic debating was agitated even more by the fact that “morning” was a very short window of time, and every day he didn’t show up was another day Emmet’s hopes were brought back down. He had a time limit to make his decision. He was even more upset by the sheer fact that he even had to debate something as simple as this. What happened to the No Regrets™, quick-decision-making, badass Rex that he was only a few weeks ago? 

At this realization, Rex snapped his head up, and puffed out his chest in an act of fake bravado. 

“What the hell am I getting so worked up about?” he loudly asked himself, his voice echoing off the walls of the empty hull, “It’s just coffee! I spent years in Undar of the Dry-Ar System, and I’m getting anxious over _coffee_?” he laughed, trying his best to convince himself that coffee was _not_ a big deal and that he was _not_ worried about the way his legs were moving seemingly on their own towards his ship’s entrance. 

Before pressing the hatch’s “Release” button, though, Rex placed his headphones on his head, and once again blasted his mixtape at full volume with absolutely no regard for his future hearing. He figured that since his hearing was already shot, he may as well keep doing what he always had. That, and he didn’t want to hear even a single note of “Everything is Awesome”, or “Catchy Song”, or any of the top-the-charts pop music that he spent many, many hours per day trying to drown out. 

Once the music was comfortably roaring in his ears, shaking his very skull, Rex took a deep breath, and pounded his fist onto the button. 

Rex had expected the sunlight to be blinding, to be absolutely unbearable, and that’s exactly what it was. Sitting in the darkness of his ship for days certainly hadn't helped this fact. He reluctantly walked through the field towards the glimmering glare of the city, forcing himself to adorn a confident, yet slightly intimidating expression. He was trying as best he could to give off an aura of “kindly don’t fuck with me.” A conversation with the citizens of New Bricksburg (or a fistfight with them) was the last thing he wanted to deal with on his journey. 

All the confidence he had been able to fake drained away when he finally reached the city sidewalk, and gaped at the complete insanity of what was displayed in front of him. 

Colorfully dressed, sparkling minifigures danced along the sidewalks, holding hands and skipping along with no consideration of the cars that haphazardly drove along through the rainbow-bricked roads. The buildings were covered in graffiti that practically dripped sweetness, not at all standing out under the overly-decorated signs. 

As soon as Rex had entered the area, he was already catching dark glances from those around him. Some were worried, some were angry, some were simply confused. Despite this, no figure seemed to completely stop to stare, and more or less continued past him. Rex didn’t know for sure if those looks were directed at him for his reputation, or for the way his dark clothes stood out against the pastels and neons of the city. 

After a few minutes of speed-walking and dodging oblivious pedestrians, Rex realized that he had made a severe miscalculation. He had absolutely _no idea_ where Emmet lived. 

Sure, he knew what the house looked like, but just how long would he have to wander through the streets to come across it? And what if Emmet had remodeled it since their “adventure”? Rex scanned the buildings that lined the sidewalks, trying to appear calm. He continued walking at a normal pace, becoming more and more agitated as he considered the possibility that he may have already passed. it. 

But Rex would be damned if he were to ask for directions. He recalled the advice he had given to Emmet while rescuing his friends from the Systar System: 

“ _Cool guys don’t ask what others think! Just pick one and act like you’re sure! That’s called leadership._ ” 

He decided to follow those exact words, and walked forward with an air of confidence. He eventually stumbled upon an intersection that led to a small neighborhood, and over the rooftops, he caught a glimpse of blue and yellow. He approached the building, and realized that it was, indeed, Emmet’s house. He noticed that, compared to the surrounding estates, it was very… plain. 

He pulled down his headphones, and let them rest on his neck. He couldn’t help but be surprised by his luck. The city was pretty big, as he recalled, so just happening upon the tiny house within the first 20 minutes of leaving his ship was in itself a miracle. 

He walked up to the sidewalk in front, and looked down at his watch. 8:00 AM. That’s not too late, right? Maybe Emmet and Lucy had already finished their coffee. Rex realized now, standing only 8 feet away from his past self’s front door, that _maybe_ this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe he should just walk back home, leave Emmet alone, and let him live out his new life in peace… 

But no, Rex didn’t come all this way, and agonize over his decision for nothing. Who was he, if not a brave, multi-talented badass who never cowered in the face of uncertainty? 

Once again, filling himself up with compliments and cockiness, he approached the front door of Emmet’s house, _his_ old house. He knocked, and before his hand had even pulled away, the door flew open with a very pleased Emmet gripping the knob. 

“Rex! You actually came!” he hopped up, standing aside to let his older self in. 

“Yep, here I am.” he stepped onto the welcome mat, taking in the nostalgic scenery of his old dream house. He gave a low whistle, indicating that he was impressed with the place. 

“Oh, could you take off your shoes before you come in? I thought the house would be a bit cozier with some carpeting.” Emmet asked as he shut the door. 

“Oh, sure.” He removed his boots, and stepped onto the soft carpet. It felt so much nicer than the cold, hard floors of his ship. Maybe Emmet was onto something. 

Emmet headed towards what Rex assumed was the kitchen, beckoning him to follow. “Do you remember this place?” he asked as they walked. 

“Kinda? The details are fuzzy, but it looks a little familiar.” he responded, glancing around at the plants adorning every surface possible. “But I don’t remember having so much greenery.” 

“Oh, those are new. Planty needed some friends, y’know?” Emmet answered, looking slightly embarrassed at the explanation. 

“Oh yeah, Planty…” Rex mumbled absentmindedly. He could just barely recall his little “friend.” That plant had served more as a coping mechanism for his crippling loneliness than anything else, but damn did he love him. He almost considered asking Emmet to see him again, but halted that sappy train of thought before it could get too far. 

“And… Here we are!” Emmet exclaimed, doing jazz hands. The kitchen had a comfortable feeling to it. Gentle light shined through the open blinds, and little woolen covers rested over the appliances (even the coffee maker, Rex noted). It was just so… cute. 

Well, it was cute until he noticed the girl sitting at the table. 

She didn’t look up when Rex entered the room, and even after Rex sat down across from her at the small table. Based on its size, the table was clearly meant for two people, and people who were close, at that. 

Emmet tapped Rex on the shoulder, and whispered, “She’s just brooding right now, give her a few minutes to finish, okay?” Emmet’s breath on his ear sent tingles down Rex’s spine, and he recalled reading something about people getting weird shivers when hearing certain sounds. What was it called again, Autonomous Sensory… something. Yeah, it was just some confusing biology thing. No other reason. 

Nonetheless, Rex nodded. However, as soon as Emmet turned his back to begin making the coffee, Lucy looked up and shot Rex a glare that _would_ have been startling, if not for the brightly colored hair that now rested atop her head. He wouldn’t say it out loud right now, but that hair looked absolutely ridiculous on her. 

He returned the look, but he was convinced his was far more threatening. He didn’t really have a right to be hostile towards her, but something about her giving him that kind of look just set him off. 

He was certain he still resented her for what her other self did to him. The Lucy sitting in front of him may not have abandoned him, leaving him to suffer for years, but Rex’s grudges don’t fade easily. Current Lucy didn’t hurt him, but she looked exactly like the one who had. 

That, and she clearly hated Rex too. 

“Sorry, Em. That brooding session was an especially deep one.” she spoke up, shifting her gaze towards her boyfriend who was preparing coffee for everyone. 

“No problem, I know how much you love your brooding time… But I don’t know how you can still brood in a place like Syspocalypstar!” he smiled, pouring coffee grounds into the top of the machine. 

"Wait, what was that?" Rex turned in his seat to face Emmet, "Syspoca- What?" 

"Syspocalypstar...?" Emmet answered, confused, "The city we all live in?" 

" _That's_ what this place is called?" he exclaimed. Nobody had ever told him the name of the place, and he had called it "New Bricksburg" for years. He kinda forgot the place might _actually_ have an official name. 

"Yeah, of course!" he stifled a giggle, "What- What did you think it was callled?" 

"Uh..." he looked down at his lap, feeling his face heating up, "New Bricksburg..." 

Emmet let out another laugh (this time making no attempt to hide it), and Lucy giggled as well. 

"Well, it's not like anyone told me!" he explained, trying to look nonchalant. 

"Yeah, I guess that's true..." Emmet sighed, wiping an imaginery tear from his eye. "Oh, Rex, did you like the black coffee from yesterday? You’re mature and all, so I assumed that’s what you’d want.” 

“Yeah- Yeah, of course I take my coffee black.” he grinned confidently, quickly recovering from his embarassment, “Cool guys don’t need sugar.” 

“Well, I take mine with 25, so… Guess I’m just not as cool as you.” Emmet answered, and Rex thought he heard him mutter something else too. 

“ _Not that that’s a bad thing…_ ” 

Rex decided to ignore that for now. 

He instead focused on the mugs of coffee that Emmet had set down in front of him, Lucy, and himself. Emmet realized that there weren’t quite enough chairs for everyone, and quickly picked up a few of the floor bricks to create one for himself. 

“You know we have extra chairs in the other room, right?” Lucy commented, raising an eyebrow at the clearly uncomfortable seat Emmet rested in. 

“Yeah, but this is easier.” he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. He let out a yelp, lowering the mug and gently blowing on it. “Too hot.” he explained. 

As if to showcase how much cooler she was, Lucy picked up her mug and began to sip the liquid inside, not showing even a hint of pain on her face. 

Damn, did Rex want to do the same. He could just _feel_ how that move was somehow supposed to show off _something_ , but he found himself unable to take a swig from his own drink. 

“Something wrong, Rex?” Emmet asked, noticing his hesitance. 

Rex then picked up the mug, raising it to his lips. “Not at all.” he answered, before tipping the cup back and gulping down every last drop. 

Again, he made a miscalculation. 

The scalding liquid burned in his throat and mouth, and it took every ounce of willpower for him not to spit it out on the spot. He noted, though, that the lava-hot pain distracted him from the awful taste. Not that he’d be tasting much for the next few days. 

Even if it hurt, he wouldn’t allow himself to show it. He smiled, albeit shakily, at Emmet to prove this point. 

“Alrighty.” Emmet shrugged, and began to enjoy his own drink. 

_All that for an “Alrighty”?_ Rex thought, annoyed with his own idiotic actions. Curse him and his competitiveness. 

It was quiet for a little while in the breakfast nook, with the occasional slurping sounds or shuffling of feet under the table. Rex wondered how Emmet was able to keep that damned music out of his house, but the stifling silence begged him not to ask. He was more occupied with resisting the temptation to shove an entire bag of ice down his throat to soothe his self-induced burns. 

“So, Rex,” Emmet began, “How are things goin’ on the Rexcelsior?” 

“Things are fine, nothing much goes on there.” he answered flatly, leaving no hint that he couldn’t feel his mouth or the way it moved. He had considered lying, saying that he was working on some cool new gadgets, or something, but that would do nothing but raise Lucy’s suspicions. 

“Do you like… Watch TV or anything?” 

“Not really. I don’t even have a TV.” 

At this, Emmet let out a gasp. “ _No TV _?” he exclaimed, overly exasperated.__

____

“Yeah, I never had one in the first place, but there’s not much I’d wanna watch anyway.” 

____

“What about all those… weird movies you kept talking about? Wasn’t one of ‘em “Back to the Past”, or something?” 

____

“ _Back to the Future_.” Rex corrected, “But no, I don’t really care about those movies too much right now.” 

____

“Oh… Well, you can always get back into them, right?” 

____

“I… I guess so?” Rex wanted to ask Emmet what the point in doing that was. No matter what he distracted himself with, in the end, he would always come crashing back down into reality. Focusing on fiction didn’t seem like an effective method of distraction, anyway. 

____

“Rex, have you been doing anything fun this whole time?” Concern lined Emmet’s voice, and Rex could feel Lucy staring at him in expectation. 

____

“I mean, what is there to do on an empty ship, right?” he asked, a sad smile crossing his face. “Well, besides stargazing..." 

____

Rex realized his mistake as soon as the words escaped his lips, and an interested smile spread across Emmet’s. 

____

“Stargazing? That’s so awesome!” 

____

“It’s- It’s nothing much, it’s just relaxing.” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck. 

____

“Man, you and Benny should do it together sometime! He knows so many constellations, it’s unbelievable!” 

____

Rex couldn’t hide the instinctive grimace that spread across his features at the mention of his ex-friend. There was no way he would be able to spend his stargazing time, his favorite time, with someone he couldn’t help but hate. 

____

“Oh, wait, unless you don’t want to, cause... “ Emmet added quickly, taking notice of Rex’s scowl. 

____

“Uh- No, no, it’s cool, Emmet.” Rex raised his head, smiling so brightly you never would have thought he’d been frowning just a moment ago. Though, it was clear when you looked closer that the expression was a farce. 

____

“Really? I thought you’d be a little mad about the whole “abandoning you in the Dry-Ar system” thing.” he added, smiling awkwardly. 

____

There it was. 

____

“I mean, it’s not like he technically did anything, so, y’know…” Rex paused, picking up his mug to bring it to the sink, “It’s fine.” 

____

When Rex started to stand, Emmet stood even quicker, holding out his hand to take his past self’s mug. “Sorry for bringing that stuff up… Let me take care of that?” he smiled gently. 

____

“Don’t worry about it.” he answered, returning Emmet’s grin, sincerely this time, “And thanks, by the way.” He handed the cup to Emmet, but didn’t sit back down. 

____

“No problem! I actually like washing dishes! The soap smells good, and the water’s warm-” 

____

“No, Emmet, not that. Thanks for inviting me over today. Getting out of my ship for a bit was…” he tried to hide a small smile, “Cool.” 

____

“Oh! Well-” Emmet looked surprised, as if he’d expected Rex not to enjoy the meeting, “You’re always welcome to come back! We’d love to have you over again!” he looked to Lucy for affirmation, but she instead stood and moved behind Emmet at the sink. 

____

“I’ll take care of the mugs, so you go lead Rex to the door, okay?” Lucy asked, casually implying that it was time for Rex to go. He was already planning on it, but now that she wanted him to leave, a part of him wanted to stay behind. 

____

Okay, spiting Lucy wasn’t the _only_ reason he wanted to stay. 

____

“Oh, sure.” Emmet nodded, gently placing the mugs in the sink for his girlfriend to wash. Before walking away, he gave Lucy a peck on the cheek, causing her to jump slightly. Rex forced down a gag, and followed Emmet back to the front door. 

____

Rex turned back to look at Lucy one last time, checking to see if she was flashing him another glare, but instead saw her quickly wipe off her cheek. The cheek Emmet had planted a kiss on. 

____

_What the…?_

____

“Rex! Are you coming?” Emmet called from the front door. 

____

“Huh?” Rex began sprinting towards the door, “Yeah, of course!” 

____

Once his boots had been pulled back on, and Emmet had said his farewells (which were filled with the implication that he wanted Rex to come back, and soon), Rex once again found himself standing in the middle of the New Bricks- er, Syspocalypstar. 

____

Where the sun had felt overwhelming and irritating just an hour ago, it now showered him in a comforting warmth, and he was so immersed in the feeling that he hadn’t even noticed the headphones that lay limply around his neck for the remainder of his journey home.

____


	4. Not-So-Proper Apology

Rex had finally gained back some of his previous joy, even if it only lasted for a few hours on two days of the week. 

Somehow, he had begun attending bi-weekly coffee meetups with Emmet and Lucy, and he, against his better judgment, found himself extremely hopeful for the days leading up to each event. He chose to amount this to “wanting fresh air” or… something like that. He decided that the high of actually having plans was what left him staying up late into the night before the promised morning, staring at his electronic clock in anticipation. 

Emmet and Rex had become a lot more relaxed around one another over the past two weeks, to the point where Rex hardly felt nervous entering the house, and some mornings, would even skip the whole walking hassle, and just jetpack straight over. Emmet was always thrilled when Rex did this, blabbing on about how “cool” it was. He had even asked to use the transportation device, but Rex had decided that that would most likely end in a busted jetpack and a trip to the infirmary. 

For the first time in years, Rex actually felt _excited_ for something. He couldn’t even recall the last time he had been so much like, well, Emmet. 

Lucy, obviously, hadn’t warmed up to Rex in the slightest, but to be fair, he hadn’t exactly thawed his attitude towards her either. 

He wasn’t aiming for her approval, though. He wasn’t seeking forgiveness from anyone, he knew full well that Lucy’s grudge was justified. He was actually surprised, somehow, that Emmet _had_ forgiven him so quickly. That was quite the thing to excuse, even for someone as sweet as Emmet. Trapping someone under a dusty, vermin-infested dryer with the intent of corrupting their very spirit was… beyond a simple moral defect. 

Though Rex looked forward to each coffee session, the voice in the back of his mind kept begging the question: 

_“How are you going to screw this up?”_

Rex tried to ignore that grating little voice, the one that reminded him every day that he didn’t deserve this nice treatment. The one that made it it’s goal to constantly make the point that Rex was an awful person, and _deserved_ every last horrible thing that had happened to him. 

This pattern of self-loathing was nothing new, but he knew from experience that it was so much _worse_ when you were alone, especially with nothing to divert your thoughts. Luckily, for the time being, Emmet was a perfect distraction. 

When Rex thought more on it, because he was nothing if not self-aware, he realized that his mind was stuck in a pretty messed up loop. Emmet’s kindness served as a distraction from Rex’s unpleasant thoughts, but Emmet’s kindness was the thing that _triggered_ Rex’s unpleasant thoughts. Somehow, the thing that agitated those notions the most was the very same thing that relieved Rex of them. 

Weird. 

“Well, now’s not a very appropriate time to think about that, right?” Rex sat up from his position on his hull’s floor, checking his watch one more time to confirm that it was, indeed, 8 AM. 

“Alright…” he said, pulling on his jetpack and releasing the hatch, “Go time.” 

And off he went, into the bright sky of Syspocalypsestar. In the 4 total times he had exited his ship in the late morning, he had grown more and more accustomed to the liveliness of the city. That wasn’t to say he _liked_ it, but that he simply _tolerated_ it. Though, he had to admit, the wind running through his hair as he zipped over the city was kinda nice, and the sun that warmed his skin, cold from laying against his metal floor, wasn’t half bad either. 

In a matter of moments, he was soaring over Emmet’s culdesac. He remembered fondly how Emmet had daydreamed of what could happen after the apocalypse, of a tidy little neighborhood, with little picket fences and lawns. 

Today, however, something was off. He noticed that, unlike usual, there was no orange speck excitedly hopping to and fro outside of the front door. He touched down a few feet away from the house, and slung his jetpack over one shoulder. 

“Am I early?” Rex asked himself, checking his watch one more time. The last three times, Emmet had met Rex on the sidewalk, greeting him with a familiar sunny disposition. But today, he was nowhere to be found. 

Rex shrugged it off, and approached the door anyway. Maybe Emmet had slept in, or was just more busy than usual? There’s nothing weird about him not awaiting Rex’s arrival… Nothing weird about that. Though, Rex wouldn’t admit that he was sorta _flattered_ by the fact that Emmet was so eager to see him every time. 

Rex placed his hand on the doorknob, feeling a sense of dread as he slowly opened the door. Again, he ignored that instinct, and cautiously entered the house. The first thing he heard was faint voices from the kitchen. They sounded… angry. 

_Are they… having a fight?_

Rex considered walking away right then, until he heard it. 

His name. 

Curiosity tended to get the best of him at the worst of times, and he decided it was important that he investigate the situation. The worst thing about this, he found, was his first thought. 

_What if Emmet is mad at me?_

The arguing became more clear as he neared his destination, and he found that, yes, they were clearly talking about him. 

“Look, Em, I just don’t think we can _trust_ him yet!” Lucy stood across from Emmet in the kitchen, her arms crossed in front of her chest. 

“C’mon, he hasn’t done anything wrong-” Emmet stood just a foot away, his arms outstretched. He had a habit of flailing around when getting into arguments, on the rare occasion he was involved in one. 

“Hasn’t done anything wrong? He shot you into Undar! How is that not-?” 

“Rex!” Emmet interrupted himself, suddenly taking notice of the man standing in the doorway. Lucy turned too, a stunned expression plastered across her face. “Uh…” he rocked back and forth on his feet, “How much of that did you hear?” 

“Enough.” Rex answered curtly, earning a flinch from Emmet. He took slow steps towards Lucy, until they were locked in a bitter glare. 

“C- C’mon guys, there’s no need to-” 

“What, are you mad or something?” she cut in, lowering her eyelids and pulling her lips into a thin line. He knew her too well, unfortunately. That look was the one she gave when she wanted to look confident. When she _wanted_ to look like she was controlling the situation. 

“Not really. I expected this much from you.” he responded. Rex had found that, based on past experience, being taller certainly had its perks in a fight. Lucy was taller than Emmet, usually, but Rex had made a point of wearing padded boots ever since he had come up with his “time travel” idea. It wasn’t by more than a few inches, but in a situation like this, he felt as if he towered over his opponent. 

“Oh, really? At least you’re aware that you did awful things to him..” she nodded towards Emmet, who opened his mouth to speak, before being cut off again. 

“Obviously.” he spat, his voice rising a bit. He had done _nothing_ but think about what he did. And here she stood, making a goddamn mockery of that. 

“Then why do you still come back? Do you just plan to hurt him again?” her voice became louder too, and she moved a step closer to Rex. 

“No! Do you seriously think I want to hurt him?” Rex didn’t want this. He didn’t want an argument or to be right. What he did was wrong, it was so, _so wrong_. Why couldn’t he just fucking _apologize_? 

“Yes, I do!” she shouted, “That’s all you’ve done so far! I know what you’re doing, Dangervest. You’re trying to play nice, and earn his trust so you can break him and make him like you! You can keep up that act for as long as you want, but it’s not gonna fool me!” 

Emmet stood helplessly between the two, whipping his head back and forth in an attempt to catch every spitfire retort. 

“I don’t want him to be like me! He’s fine like he is! _You’re_ the one that kept asking us to change!” he jabbed his finger into her chest, “ _You’re_ the one that wanted us to 'toughen up!'” He doesn’t want to accuse her. He doesn’t _want_ to make her feel bad. He’s the worst, he deserves this, but he can’t _stop_. Why can’t he just _stop_? 

“You… You seriously think I’m worse than you?” she now met his eyes, and Rex saw a very familiar guilt in them. He waved for a moment, his anger melting away. 

“ _At least I’m sorry for what I did._ ” 

That sent him right over the limit. 

“You think I don’t regret what I did?!” he cried, his shoulders up to his ears and his face burning red hot. Lucy took a step back at the increase in volume. Rex saw Emmet recoil out of the corner of his eye, but he was going now and couldn’t stop if he wanted to. 

“You think I don’t think about it every single fucking day?! I hate myself every goddamn moment for what I did to him! ‘Sorry’ doesn’t even _begin_ to cover how I feel! You don’t, no, you _can’t_ understand how this feels, so don’t you dare tell me I’m not sorry! I _AM_ SORRY!” 

And with that, Rex was left heaving, and shaking heavily. Lucy stood dumbfounded and unmoving, and as for Rex, time seemed to stand stagnant. 

It was all over now. There it was. Every single feeling he had been bottling up for months had escaped his throat as though he were possessed. A wave of relief washed over him, sending him into a mind-numbing state. For better or for worse, it was over. 

Apparently, this time it was for the better. In an instant, Rex was hit square in the torso by a hard force. He nearly lost his footing, but caught himself just in time to see Emmet wrapping his arms around his waist, and nuzzling his head into Rex’s chest. He couldn’t process the situation in the slightest, and in his daze, found himself automatically hugging back. 

He didn’t care about Lucy then. He could tell she was staring, but just this once, he wasn’t concerned with her. He shut his eyes, and squeezed Emmet tightly against him. 

The world had stopped, and everything had gone silent. 

Rex could have stayed like that forever.


	5. Sweetness and Curiosity

“Lucy’s gone?” Rex picked his head up from Emmet’s kitchen table, staring bewildered at his past self who stood in front of the kitchen counter. He was preparing the same old coffee he always had, but this time, he only made two cups. 

“Yep, she said she had ‘business to attend to.’” he deepened his voice at that part, as if that was a good impression of Lucy’s tone. 

Actually, it kinda was, in Rex’s opinion. 

“Huh, really…” he muttered absentmindedly, choosing to gaze out the window next to him. He rested his head on his hands, and inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh serenity of the morning. Rex would certainly say he was a _little_ relieved that Lucy was absent from today’s breakfast. Their last encounter was… bitter, to say the least. He had traveled to the tidy little house with a knot of dread resting in his stomach, and had spent quite a bit of time (more than he’d like to admit) considering inviting Emmet, _alone_ , to his place instead. 

But he figured that would just be weird. 

“Yeah, you guys don’t get along too well. I don’t really know why, though…” he trailed off, pouring two cups of coffee into matching mugs. He set one aside, and proceeded to dump two handfuls of sugar (and a few drops of cream) into the other. 

“Well, kid, there’s a few reasons, but it’s mostly just my trauma. Y’know how it is sometimes.” he shrugged, picking up the mug Emmet had set down. 

“That’s kinda sad, Rex.” he replied, frowning slightly. 

“Maybe.” he answered shortly. This conversation was less than pleasant… He had hoped to spend this rare time alone with Emmet enjoying himself. This feeling was only amplified by the coffee Rex was sipping. He liked to believe he had gotten used to it, what with drinking it about 4 times in a row, but he still couldn’t help grimacing with every slurp. 

“Uh, Rex?” Emmet spoke up, startling Rex out of his contemplation. 

Talking was an excuse to stop drinking, so he set down his cup, and looked back up at Emmet. “Yeah?” 

“Do you actually like the coffee I make…?” he gave Rex a confused gaze, studying the features of his face. Rex hated how the question was worded. Emmet could have served him piss in a cup and he would have drank it. Rex didn’t have any right to complain about Emmet’s hospitality, not that it wasn’t absolutely perfect already. 

“What? Yeah, of course kid. Your coffee is rad.” he took another gulp to prove his point, but Emmet was clearly not convinced. 

“Really? Lucy never looks like that when she drinks it.” Emmet looked beyond confused, and maybe even a little disappointed. 

Rex stared down into the translucent, dark liquid swirling in the mug. He sighed, and set it down in defeat. 

“Alright, I’ll level with you.” he paused, looking back at Emmet with mock-seriousness, “I can’t stand black coffee.” 

“What? And I’ve been giving it to you this whole time?” he responded, clearly distressed. 

“Emmet, don’t worry about it!” he put his hands up, “I was the one trying to flex on Lucy.” 

“Fl- Flex on?” 

“Nevermind. Point is, I was trying to get used to drinking it, but yeah… That stuff is awful.” he scowled at the cup. At least one thing had come out of this experience, he mused: Now he had something to channel his anger into when master breaking. 

“Well, thanks for telling me. Oh, I can make you some of the kind I drink!” he stood up, facing the counter, “I’ll grab the sugar-” 

“No, wait Emmet.” Emmet stopped in his tracks, turning around again to face Rex. “I don’t think I can handle that kinda heart attack in a cup anymore.” 

Emmet looked upset at this. Had the idea of drinking the same coffee made him _that_ happy? “But, didn’t you used to drink it a lot?” 

“Yep, that’s exactly _why_ I don’t wanna again.” 

Emmet opened his mouth to speak again, but closed it again when he seemed to understand. 

Why was Rex making such a big deal out of this? It’s only coffee, it’s not like it represents his self-image issues and difficulty accepting his past behavior and the joyous life he used to know. 

It’s just coffee. 

“Then…” Emmet looked up to the ceiling, and back to the floor, before a small light bulb popped up above his head. A smile spread across his face, and he jumped to the cupboard above the sink. 

Rex looked on with worry as Emmet dug through the contents of the cabinet, before letting out a muffled “Aha!” He pulled his head back out, and held a bear-shaped bottle of golden liquid in his hand. 

“Honey?” Rex asked. He couldn’t help but smile a bit at Emmet’s excitement. 

“Yeah, I actually watched a whole movie about this stuff recently. There were these bees that made the honey, but they were all angry that the humans were using it, so they brought it to _court_ and-” 

“Emmet.” Rex interrupted, “I’ve seen the movie. It’s hella weird.” 

“Yeah, but it’s great, isn’t it?” he hopped back down from the counter, and handed the bottle to Rex. 

“Not really, kid. But I dunno about using the stuff in my coffee…” he picked up the bottle, tipping it over and watching the material slowing drip into the top of the bottle. “Looks a little too sweet.” 

“Well, it can’t make it any worse, can it?” 

Rex considered this, popping open the bottle’s cap, “Guess not.” 

He poured in a decent amount, swirled his mug around, and tipped the mug back against his lips as Emmet watched in expectation. 

Holy shit. 

That shit’s _good_. 

“So, how is it?” 

“It’s… It’s fucking great!” Rex exclaimed, raising the cup up in the air like the world’s finest mug of beer. 

“Jeez Rex, language.” Emmet scolded, shaking his head. But nonetheless, Rex saw the smile that played across Emmet’s lips. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry, but kid, this stuff is the bomb.” he took another sip. It was the perfect balance of bittersweetness, and without the added sugars, it just felt so much more… natural. How the hell had he been missing out on this the whole time? 

“Really?” Emmet stared into Rex’s mug with curiosity, and Rex switched glances between him and the coffee. 

“Do you… wanna try some?” he suggested, holding out the mug towards him. 

“Oh, sure, I guess I’ll give it a try! All this sugar is probably bad for me, anyway.” he added, nodding towards his respective mug. He took Rex’s coffee in his hands, seemingly appreciating the warm steam and fresh scent that rose from the top. He took a slow sip, and immediately scrunched up his face in discomfort. He held the cup back at arm’s length, shaking his head. 

Rex laughed, taking it back. “Not to your liking?” 

“Way too bitter…” he muttered, wiping off his mouth. 

“Heh, yeah, you’ve got a ways to go kiddo.” 

“Well, then why don’t you try mine, if you’re so tough?” he grinned smugly, pushing his mug away from him. 

“Pssh, I don’t need that sugary crap.” he returned the look, shaking his head in fake disapproval. 

“What, you scared, Dangervest?” 

“Hmpf, not at all, Brickowski.” he picked up the mug. He knew that Emmet was using reverse psychology (albeit poorly), but decided to go along with it and play his little game. Also, he may or may not have wanted to try his old favorite beverage again. 

Well, he was _going_ to go along with it until he came to a very weird realization. 

“Actually, Emmet, isn’t this… Isn’t this an indirect kiss?” Rex laughed. He knew it was a dumb fact, they were the same person, so technically, drinking from each other’s cups was the same as just drinking from the same one. 

So why did it make Rex feel so _weird_? 

“A what?” Emmet’s smile faded, “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Y’know, it's…” Now that he tried to explain it, he came to the conclusion that no matter what he said, it would come out sounding _really_ strange. He set the mug back down, and sucked in a breath. “It’s like… When one person’s mouth touches one thing, and then the other person’s mouth touches the same thing, so it’s almost like they’re…” 

“Oh, kissing?” Emmet exclaimed, “Rex, that’s…” he sat back a bit, scooting away from the other man. Rex panicked at this. 

“I mean, it’s not like it’s some romantic thing!” he explained, forcing down the heat that spread across his cheeks. “It’s just a thing that happens by accident, it doesn’t mean anything.” 

“Oh, ok…” he situated himself back into the seat, and discreetly moved his mug back to its original position, “Sorry, I don’t know much about that stuff…” he looked down into his lap, seeming to be ashamed. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Well, Lucy and I haven’t done any of that…” he muttered. When he sensed Rex’s confusion, he quickly added, “Yet!” 

Him and Lucy… Haven’t kissed? 

Rex sifted through his memories for something regarding intimate actions between him and his ex (a very miserable search), and it dawned upon him that Emmet was right. Rex had always just _assumed_ that something had happened. His memories of his time as Emmet Brickowski were blurred at best, but… They really hadn’t done anything. 

“That’s… Isn’t that a bit weird?” 

“N-no…” Emmet avoided eye contact, “We’re just taking it slow.” 

“Dating for over 5 years and not kissing once is a bit more than ‘just taking it slow.’” he answered, his stare burning holes into the side of Emmet’s head. How had Rex not realized this before? 

“She’s… she’s just not ready, okay?” Emmet answered, but he sounded as if he was reassuring himself rather than Rex. Rex didn’t like to see him like that, staring hard at the kitchen floor with his brows furrowed and a tight frown against his lips. 

What he needed right now was some good old fashioned machismo. 

“Jeez, you’re missin’ out. Kissing is great.” he leaned back in his chair, his hands behind his head. Rex knew damn well that there was a fine line between teasing and just being an asshole, but he would risk crossing it for the chance of lifting Emmet’s spirits. 

“Wait, you’ve _actually_ done it?” Emmet perked up, his interests caught. 

“Of course, dude. I’m _Rex Dangervest_.” His words were quite clearly untrue, but Emmet was just as bad at fibbing as he was. Also, the fact that he was _the_ Rex Dangervest, he assumed, was proof enough for his naive, younger self. 

“But… If I haven’t, how have you?” Emmet asked. Honestly, Rex had expected him to just go along with it. 

“Oh, y’know, I’ve been around…” he answered slyly. In his experience, lies were best when they had very few details. 

“Wow…” Emmet looked out the window behind Rex, and then back into the face of his future counterpart. A blush spread across his face, and Rex felt an unpleasant (okay, maybe a _little_ pleasant) shiver go down his spine. 

“I’ve always wanted to try it…” 

Rex gawked at Emmet for just a moment. Just a split second of visual appreciation, taking in the way the sun reflected and danced in Emmet's dark irises, and the shade of rosy pink that dusted his cheeks. 

And then he pinched himself, snapping himself out of the daze. 

“W- Well, you’ll get your chance someday, so don’t worry about it. I should know, since I’m you...” he waved his hand in front of him, dismissing the conversation entirely. He felt guilty for giving Emmet false hope, but probability indicated that Emmet, and by extension, _he_ , would experience it. Eventually. 

Unfortunately, Emmet was determined to continue. 

“I know that, but… It’s frustrating, right?” 

Rex felt a very tight tension in his stomach, and a warmth creep up the back of his neck and up to his ears. Shame? Embarrassment? All he knew was that he did _not_ want to discuss his- no, _Emmet’s_ lack of intimacy right now. 

“I… I guess?” he answered, shrugging his shoulders tensely. 

“You’re really the only person I can talk to about this, since you know what it felt like…” 

“You’re not wrong, but-” 

“I just… I just want to see what it feels like... Everyone else has done it.” 

“Kid, trust me, not everyone has done it yet.” Had everyone else? _Seriously, everyone?_

“Benny and Lenny have, Metalbeard has, even _Unikitty_ has done it before!” 

“Lenny? Who the hell is...? Nevermind! You don’t have to be the same as them. This is normal.” Of _course_ it's normal. They're just- _Emmet_ is just a late bloomer, nothing more. 

“It’s not, Rex! I’m 27 and _nothing_ has ever happened! Even Lucy doesn’t want to do that with me! Am I just…” 

He paused, and Rex already knew what was coming. He held back a sigh, and braced himself for Emmet’s words. 

“Am I just gonna be like this forever?” 

Emmet had stopped now, and was breathing a bit too heavily for Rex’s tastes. His already idiotic plan had severely backfired, and paired with the unknown tension in his chest, he was more than a little troubled. 

Emmet’s breakdown had reminded Rex of his own long lost desires that he had been shoving down for _years_. Rex used to think the exact same thing before his excursion to Undar. He remembered how it had been, every memory and recollection flooding his mind at the same time. The longing, the embarrassment, the touch-starvation… All things he had seemingly rid himself of after his isolation. 

But here it was, back again with a bitter vengeance. 

Rex had no idea what to do next. The silence was stifling, suffocating, and smothering. 

Emmet broke the quiet once more, sniffling a bit before speaking. “Jeez, I… I’m sorry Rex. We’re supposed to be having coffee together, and I started freaking out like I always do…” 

“Kid, I...” 

At that moment, an idea forced itself into Rex’s mind, and he was nearly disgusted at himself by the sheer _strangeness_ of it. Rex’s hand numbly moved to Emmet’s shoulder (he really, _really_ tried to ignore the slight sniffling he heard), and Emmet raised his head back up to meet Rex’s gaze. 

He shook slightly, and realized with horror that he was _not_ in control of himself. His stupid, _awful_ emotions that had been restrained and restricted for years were flooding out of him, taking control of his entirety. Rex’s chest got tighter, and he hazily realized just how _stupid_ his next sentence was going to sound. Before he could even stop himself, before he could force himself out of his seat and splash some water on his face, calm down a little, he found a single whisper leaving his lips: 

_“I can show you, if you want.”_

Emmet’s eyes widened (Rex’s probably did too), but after a few moments of tension, his features relaxed again. Maybe a little _too_ much. 

But Rex refused to back down. If he looked away now, he would never be able to justify it. This was _normal_ , after all. 

Yeah, there was nothing at all wrong with his suggestion. They were the same person, after all. They both want to try it, or _Emmet_ wants to try it. What’s wrong with curiosity? Friends do practice kissing and stuff all the time. Or, maybe not but... This is normal, it’s not weird at all. This is completely, _totally-_

And then he started laughing. 

Emmet leaned back in his chair, giggling profusely. “Good one, Rex! You know we can’t do that!” 

Rex stared in disbelief for a moment, disappointment tugging at his heartstrings. Luckily, he was adaptable if nothing else. He plastered on a grin, and forced out his douchiest laugh. “Yeah, obviously. I was just messin’ with you, kid.” 

He sat back forward, and drank some more of his coffee. “Well,” he set looked up over the rim of the mug, “you _almost_ got me…” Emmet admitted with a smile. However, it quickly faded when he realized the weight of what he had said. “Not that I would have, though. We’re the same person, it’s just too _weird_.” 

Emmet’s tone caused, for reasons that were completely unknowable, pain in Rex’s chest. 

“Yeah dude…” he chuckled, and added with fake seriousness, “Also, that’s pretty gay.” 

“Haha, yeah…? But honestly, I don’t really care about-” Emmet started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He stood quickly, his chair squeaking against the tile. “I’ll get it!” His eagerness to leave seemed a little strange to Rex, but to be fair, it was a pretty damn awkward situation he had created. 

He should be thanking his lucky stars that Emmet hadn’t kicked him to the curb right then. 

Rex reluctantly followed, walking slowly in an attempt to slow his ever-racing heart. Emmet opened the door, and welcomed a strangely joyous Lucy. It was rare to see her smiling in a non-smug way, but that’s not the expression Rex was focused on. He couldn’t help but stare at the bright expression on Emmet’s face when she greeted him. He couldn’t remember what it was like to feel that way about someone… 

Yeah, he hadn’t felt that in a while. 

“Rex, you okay?” Lucy asked, and he reluctantly turned his head away from Emmet and towards her. 

“Never better.” he answered nonchalantly. 

“Right…” she nodded slowly, stepping inside and removing her shoes. 

“Well, guess I better get going.” he nodded, pulling his boots back on and fastening the straps, “Thanks for the new coffee, Emmet.” 

“Yeah…” he answered, smiling fondly, “And, uh… Thank you for, um, listening.” 

“Anytime, kid.” 

  

For the rest of the day, Rex couldn’t get that sweet taste of honey out of his mouth.


End file.
